Direct-path-signal detection apparatus and associated methods

1. A direct-path-signal detector circuitry, comprising:

a standard deviation calculator circuitry configured to determine a standard deviation of a plurality of data values within a data frame that corresponds to a radio-frequency signal received via a communication link; and

a threshold circuitry configured to detect a direct-path signal depending on the relative values of the standard deviation and a threshold signal.

2. The circuitry of claim 1 , in which the received radio-frequency signal is received via a multipath propagation medium.

3. The circuitry of claim 2 , in which the threshold circuitry further comprises a comparator circuitry configured to compare the determined standard deviation with the threshold signal to detect the direct-path signal.

4. The circuitry of claim 3 , in which the plurality of data values reside in a window within the data frame.

5. The circuitry of claim 4 , in which the received signal comprises an ultra-wideband signal.

6. The circuitry of claim 5 , in which the threshold signal comprises an overall standard deviation of a noise floor of the communication link, multiplied by a scaling factor.

7. The circuitry of claim 6 , in which the window constitutes a sliding window.

8. A radio-frequency (RF) apparatus, comprising:

a radio-frequency receiver circuitry configured to receive via a communication link a plurality of pulses that result from a transmission of a radio-frequency pulse in a multipath propagation medium; and

a detector circuitry coupled to the radio-frequency receiver circuitry, the detector circuitry configured to detect a direct-path pulse in the plurality of pulses,

wherein the detector circuitry detects the direct-path signal within a data frame that corresponds to the plurality of pulses, wherein the detector circuitry is further configured to detect the direct-path signal by using a standard deviation of a plurality of data values in a window within the data frame, and the detector circuitry is further configured to detect the direct-path signal depending on the relative values of the standard deviation and a threshold signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , in which the threshold signal comprises an overall standard deviation of a noise floor of the communication link, multiplied by a scaling factor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , in which the window comprises one of a plurality of sliding windows within the data frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , in which the detector circuitry is further configured to successively compare a standard deviation of data values within each of the plurality of sliding windows with the threshold signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the overall noise standard deviation comprises an average of a plurality of successively obtained standard deviations of a noise floor of the communication link.

14. A communication system, comprising:

a transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a radio-frequency pulse into a multipath propagation medium;

a receiver circuitry configured to receive a plurality of pulses that result from the transmission of the radio-frequency pulse into the multipath propagation medium; and

a detector circuitry configured to detect a direct-path pulse in the received plurality of pulses,

wherein the detector circuitry detects the direct-path signal within a data frame that corresponds to the plurality of pulses, wherein the detector circuitry is further configured to detect the direct-path signal by using a standard deviation of a plurality of data values in a window within the data frame, and wherein the detector circuitry is further configured to detect the direct-path signal depending on the relative values of the standard deviation and a threshold signal.

15. The system of claim 14 , in which the receiver circuitry receives the plurality of pulses via a communication link.

16. The system of claim 14 , in which the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal.

17. The system of claim 16 , in which the threshold signal comprises an overall standard deviation of a noise floor of the communication link, multiplied by a scaling factor.

18. The system of claim 17 , in which the window comprises one of a plurality of sliding windows within the data frame.

19. The system of claim 18 , in which the detector circuitry is further configured to successively compare a standard deviation of data values within each of the plurality of sliding windows with the threshold signal.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the overall noise standard deviation comprises an average of a plurality of successively obtained standard deviations of a noise floor of the communication link.

21. The system of claim 20 , in which the receiver circuitry comprises a scanning receiver circuitry.

22. The system of claim 21 , in which the receiver circuitry and the detector circuitry reside within a first transceiver circuitry.

23. The system of claim 22 , in which the transmitter circuitry resides within a second transceiver circuitry.

24. The system of claim 23 , in which the detector circuitry resides within a processor circuitry coupled to the receiver circuitry.

25. The system of claim 21 , in which the transmitter circuitry, the receiver circuitry, and the detector circuitry reside within a radar circuitry.

26. The system of claim 25 , in which the detector circuitry resides within a processor circuitry coupled to the receiver circuitry.

27. The system of claim 25 , in which the detector circuitry resides within the receiver circuitry.

28. A method of detecting a direct-path-signal, comprising:

determining a standard deviation of a plurality of data values within a data frame that corresponds to a radio-frequency signal received via a communication link; and

detecting a direct-path signal depending on the relative values of the standard deviation and a threshold signal.

29. The method of claim 28 , in which the received radio-frequency signal is received via a multipath propagation medium.

30. The method of claim 29 which further includes comparing the determined standard deviation with the threshold signal to detect the direct-path signal.

31. The method of claim 30 , in which the plurality of data values reside in a window within the data frame.

32. The method of claim 31 , in which the received signal comprises an ultra-wideband signal.

33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising:

determining an overall standard deviation of a noise floor of the communication link; and

multiplying the overall standard deviation of the noise floor by a scaling factor to obtain the threshold signal.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the window comprises a sliding window.

35. A method of detecting a direct-path pulse in a radio-frequency (RF)

apparatus, comprising:

receiving via a communication link a plurality of pulses that result from a transmission of a radio-frequency pulse in a multipath propagation medium;

detecting a direct-path pulse in the plurality of pulses by using a detector circuitry in the radio frequency apparatus; and

detecting the direct-path pulse within a data frame that corresponds to the plurality of pulses depending on relative values of a standard deviation of a plurality of data values in a window within the data frame and a threshold signal.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the radio-frequency pulse transmitted in the multipath propagation medium comprises an ultra-wideband signal.

37. The method of claim 36 , further comprising:

determining an overall standard deviation of a noise floor of the communication link; and

multiplying the overall standard deviation of the noise floor by a scaling factor to obtain the threshold signal.

38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the window comprises one of a plurality of sliding windows within the data frame.

39. The method of claim 38 , which further includes comparing successively a standard deviation of data values within each of the plurality of sliding windows with the threshold signal to detect the direct-path signal.

40. The method of claim 39 , which further includes averaging a plurality of successively obtained standard deviations of a noise floor of the communication link to obtain the overall noise standard deviation.